Sorting machine

ABSTRACT

243,364. British Tabulating Machine Co., Ltd., (Assignees of Bryce, J. W.). Nov. 20, 1924, [Convention date]. Compiling statistics.-In a sorting machine for Hollerith cards read in motion there is a sorting brush at each station or deflector, the stations being one card cycle apart. The cards are fed with the &#34; 9s &#34; first under each brush; the main brush circuits are momentarily made live by the usual cam contacts 119 when the cards are simultaneously in their correct reading positions and in these positions at the first station the brush rests upon the &#34; 9 &#34; perforation index point, at&#39; the second station upon the &#34; 8 &#34; point, at the third station at the &#34; 7 &#34; point and so on. Thus a card will only permit contact through its perforation while the main brush circuit is live when the card is at the correct sorting station. This energizes a magnet 107 which attracts its armature 111 and raises the deflector 108. At the same time the armature closes contacts 113 to complete a holding circuit 121 which is broken at&#39; the correct moment by cam 120. The brushes are individually adjusted transversely of the machine to any card column. The construction of the sorting boxes, card-feed conveyer rollers and card-feed picker-blade mechanism are as described in Specification 242,654.

May 1.192s.

1,667,837 J. W. BRYCE SORTING MACHINE Filed Nov-20. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,IIIIIIIIIIIIII'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIA May 1, 1928.

J. W. BRYCE SORTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 20. 1924 M NN May 1, 1928.

I J. W. BRYCE I SORTING MACHINE Filed NOV. 20. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 1, 1928..

J. W. BRYCE SORTING MACHINE Filed Nov.2o. 1924 5 Sheets-Shed, s

\ Patented May 1, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES W. BRYCE, F BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE TABULATING} MACHINE COMPANY, OF ENDICOTT, NEW YQRK, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SOB-TING MACHINE.

This invention relates to machines especially adapted for sorting record cards used in tabulating systems, such,.for instance, as the well known Hollerith.

Tndex points are formed by punching holes through the cards, the value and character of the information conveyed by each hole being dependent on its exact location on the card. The index points are arranged in in vertical columns, and certain columns contain punched index holes designating the kind or class to which the card belongs.

As it would be a tedious task to sort out the cards by hand into desired classes or groups before running them through the tabulating machines, sorting machines have been designed to do the classifying automatically, and that is the class of machine to which my present invention belongs, being an improvement on the machine described in detail in copending application by E. A.

Ford, Serial No. 748,347, which discloses a sorter of the horizontal type designed to sort the cards electrically and deposit each 35 class in a certain station.

Heretofore in card sorting machines it has been customary to feed each card from the stack into a device which first analyzed the holes in the card to determine where the card belonged and then adjusted the distributing mechanism to insure the card going to its proper station. This method of control and distribution involves mechanism of some sort extending from the analyzing device to each receiving station, some of which are at considerable distance from the point of control.

ll am aware that mechanical devices have been made to analyze cards at the stations,

4 but they have required stoppage of the cards while being analyzed. and were therefore slow in operation. My invention obviates the necessity of either long range operation or stoppage of cards, by using a simple electrically operated device at each station. As a card reaches each station it is analyzed while in motion, to determine whether or not it belongs in that particular station. The device then acts accordingly, either admitting the card or allowing it to pass on for similar analysis at the next and succeeding stations until it is finally disposed of.

'Fig. 1 is the front elevation of a sorting machine to which my device is adapted.

Fig. 2 is a section through the feeding device, showing also some conveyor rollers, and the analyzing device for the first station.

Fig. 3 is an extension of Fig. 2 to the left, showing additional rollers, control devices, and stations.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of Fig. 3 showing rollers and drives therefor,brush holder, and other details. I

Fig. 5 is a typical record card.

Fig. 6 is a detail of the worm gear drive of the rolls.

Figs. 7 and 7 together form a wiring diagram of my invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, the frame 30 is mounted on legs 31. Underneaththe mainframe, and carried by the legs, is a shelf or subframe 32 supporting'the motor 33, which drives the machine from pulley 34 by belt 35 to pulley 36 fast to shaft 37, which runs the full length of the machine in the rear, pulley 36 being on one end of it and handwheel 38 on the other.

In operation, a stack of cards to be sorted is placed in the feed magazine, as at 55, the operator adjusts his analyzing brushes, and when the motor is started the rotating picker drum feeds the cards, one by one, from the bottom of the stack to the conveyor rolls, which carry them along horizontally above the receiving stations until each card is deflected into one of the thirteen receiving stations 9, 8, 7, 6. 5, at, 3, 2,1,0,X, E, R. These stations are fully described in the co-pending application above referred to, each station being formed by walls 62 containing a tray 63 carried on a spring-supported stem (35.

The feed mechanism consists of the, "i'otar v picker drum 61, driven from shaft 37. Drum 61 carries in its rim :1 number of picker blades 69 extending lengthwise of the drum andprojecting from the drum a dis tance slightly less than the thickness of a card. As the drum revolves. each blade in turn picks a card from the bottom of the stack and feeds it through the micrometer openings 72 provided between the bottom of the fixed plate 73 and rollers 74, into the control of the conveyor rolls.

The upper conveyor rolls are designated 82, there being two of them fast on shaft 83, While directly under each of these upper rollers is a lower 'roll 84 fast on shafts 85. The rolls are driven by worm 86 on shaft 37 through spiral gears 87 fast on shafts 83 and 85. All rolls are of the same diameter and are driven at the same speed, the upper set turning clockwise and the lower sets counterclockwise, so as to draw the cards between them. Each upper pair of rolls is downwardly-spring-pressed against the corresponding lower set by adjustable spring clips 9:2. It is found that this conveyor system insures that he exact distance between cards will be maintained throughout their travel, which is an essential feature of my inventlon.

Analyzing and distributing system.

crosswise of the frame of the Inachin 1 and fastened thereto at their ends, are a plurality of rods 100. These rods are parallel to shafts 83 in approximately the same plane. Each rod carries a brush holder 101 (Fig. 4-) of non-conducting material, settable lengthwise on rod 100, and secured thereto by screw 102 or other suitable means. Each brush holder 101 carries a. contact brush 101 which bears on the top surface, of cards 103 passing between the conveyor rolls. Rods are placed so that each card passes under a brush 101 just before it reaches each receiving station, as will be more fully described. If no card be present the end of each brush 101 rests on a metallic contact strip 105, supported by the non-conducting brackets 106 rigidly secured to the frame of the machine.

Adjacent each receiving compartment except the R station is a magnet 107. which when energized actuates a curved deflector plate 108, hinged on rod 109 and fast to arm 110 which carries armature 111. \Vhen arm 110 is actuated it moves spring blade 112 to make contact in the stick circuit, at 113. Arm 110 and its armature are normally held away from magnet 107 by spring 114. Each deflector plate 108 is so located with reference to its receiving station that in normal position cards will pass over it freely, but when its magnet is energized the upper end of the deflector will be raised above the plane of the passing cards, as best shown by the center deflector in Fig. 3. lVhile in that raised position all arriving, cards will be deflected into that particular station. \Vhile in raised position contact 113 is closed.

Each deflector is controlled by the contact brush under which the card passes justbet'ore reaching the deflector. as for instance in Fig. 3 the center deflector is raised because the brush 104 to the right of it has made contact. through a holein the card, with strip 105. The card now under that brush will go into the middle station.

Cards are fed into my sorter bottom first, so the index positions on the card pass through the rolls and under the brushes in the order 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, O, X, and E. X and E are two extra positions that may be used, above the regular printed positions.

Brushes 101 and contact strips are so located differentially, lengthwise of the machine, that when cards are passing through the rolls, if the first brush (counting from the right) rests on the No. 0 index position on the card, the second brush will rest on Xe. 8 position, the third on No. 7, and so on. This point is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and also shown diagramniatically in Figs. 7 and 7.

()n the same shaft with picker drum (31 is a gear 115, geared in the ratio 1 to 1 to the smaller gear 110, so that gear makes one revolution for each card fed from the stack. Secured to gear 110 the cam 11? operating against spring blade 118 to make and break contact .110. This illustrates only part of the cam contact (.Olllllllltllltlll, which is the conventional cam and contact device used in tabulating and sorting machines. driven synchronously with the card movcnu-nt to make the brush circuit-just before a perl'oration reaches the brush and break the circuit just before the brush leaves the perl'oration in the card, to thereby prevent arcing at. the card. This device is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 7, at. the left.

On the same shaft with gear 110 also located a am 120 shown diagranunatically to the right in Fig. 7. This also operates synchronously with the card feed and serves to interrupt the relay stick circuit 121 (Fig. 7) just before the brush leaves the trailing end of the card. Switches 192 are provided in' the brush circuit for a purpose. to be explained.

Referring to diagram Fig. 7". my motor is started by depressing switch 123, and stopped by depressing either of the stop buttons 121, one at each end of the machine; A card controlled device serves to stop the machine automatically should the supply of cards be exhausted. This is shown conventionally at 125. In order to energize any magnet 107, contact must be made concur really at its brush and at contact 110.

Operation.

Before beginning to sort a promiscuous stack of cards the operator adjusts all the brushes by setting their holders 101 on rods 100, so that each brush will traverse the card column being analyzed.

In straight sorting, one card column is analyzed. and that column has one hole punched in it at some index position, or the column has no hole at all, and the cards are therefore sorted into all receiving stations and the reject station.

While my sorter is in operation contact is made at 119 once for every card cycle, and that contact is made at the instant the card or cards are in positions indicated in Figs. 7 and 7, or shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which means that, due to their differential locations, the brush controlling the deflector of station No. 9 is resting on No. 9 index position on the card column under it; brush controlling U0. 8 deflector is resting on No. 8 index position on its card; No. 1 brush is resting on No. 1 index position; and so on, each brush resting on the index position corresponding to its particular compartment or station. Now it is apparent that if there be a hole punched in a card at any index position, the brush resting on that position will make contact through the hole with its contact strip 105, so that when the circuit is completed by contact at 119 the magnet controlled by that particular circuit will be energized, its deflector raised, and the card when it advances further will be deposited in the station under that deflector. Thiscondition is shown in Fig. 3 wherein the brush to the right has contacted with its plate 105 through a hole in the card. This has operated the deflector above the center station and it is evident that further progress of the card through which contact was made, will take it into the center station, where it belongs.

The brush controlling No. 9 station searches only for holes in the 9 position on the card; brush No. 8 searches only for holes in the 8 position, and so on. If a brush finds a hole at its particular position, it acts, otherwise it lets the card pass on to be examined at each succeeding station. If no hole be found at any index position in the column being examined the card will pass to final station, marked R, or Reject.

As the card is moving'rapidly, contact by brush 104 is only momentary, but suificient to operate the magnet and its deflector. In order to hold the deflector in raised position until the card has entered the station, I provide that whenever a magnet 107 is energized it closes contacts 113, thereby providing a stick circuit which keeps magnet 107 energized until broken by cam 120 (Fig. 7).

r The above description covers straight sorting, and it is evident that the cards are analyzed and sorted rapidly, without stopping the cards, and each card is deposited in itsappropriate station.

My invention also provides for universal selection, or split sort-mg.

To split the column at any desired point, as for instance it the operator wants to reject all cards having perforations below the three position in a column, he will break brush circuits 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, by opening their switches 122. Then all cards having holes in those positions will be rejected,

'while all cards having holes 3 and above will 5-; may be used for selecting only cards having holes punched at only one index position, as for instance the 6 position, in which case all brush circuit switches except the 6 will be opened. All 6 cards will then go to the 6 station, the others all going to the R station.

To sort more than one position in a column, as for instance 9 and 7, all switches except 9 and 7 are opened. Then all cards with only a 9 hole will go to the 9 station and all with only a 7 hole will go to the 7 station. If it happens that a card has holes at both 9 and 7 stations it will go to the 9 station because the 9 index position reaches its brush first. The cards in 9 station therefore will have to be run through the sorter again with only the 7 brush alive, in order to separate them.

Another valuable feature of my present the operator wants totake out all cards having holes punched at the 9 position in the 21st column, and all those having holes at the 2 position in the 27th column. On the 9 station the brush is positioned to the 21st column and on the 2 station the brush is positioned to the 27th column. All other brush circuits are opened. Then when the cards are run through, all cards with 9s in the 21st column will ,go to the 9 station. All cards with 2s in the 27th column, without in the 21st column, will go to the 2 station. The cards in the 9 station must then be run through again with only the 2 brush circuit alive. In this way the cards with 9 in the 21st column will pass on to the 2 station without hindrance, and any of them with 2 holes in the 27th column will go into the 2 station.

ll claim:

1. in a machine for sorting cards having 1ndex positions, in combination, a plurality of receiving stations corresponding to the index positions on the cards, and means at each of said stations to analyze cards while the cards are in motion.

2. In a machine adapted to sort in one run cards having index points, in combination, a

plurality of receiving stations corresponding to the index point positions on the'cards, and means at each station to analyze cards by causing electric currents to flow through holes in the cards.

8. In a machine for sorting cards having motion.

4. In a machine for sorting cards having indexpositiona'in combination, a plurality of receiving stations corresponding to the index positions on the cards. a device at each station to analyze a card while the card is in motion. and a deflecting means controlled by each of said analyzing devices.

In a machine adapted to sort in one run *ards having index points. in combination. a plurality of receivin; stations corresponding to the index point positions on the iards. a device at each station to analyze cards by causing electric currents to iiovv through holes in the 'ards. and a deflecting means controlled by each of said analyzing devices.

(3. In a machine for sorting cards having index positions. in combination. a plurality ol receiving stations corres iondin to the index positions on the cards. a device at each station to analyze a card while the card is in motion. and a magnetic detlecting means controlled by each of said analyzing devices.

'1'. In a machine tor sorting cards having index positions. in combination. a plurality of receiving stations: corresponding to the index positions on the cards. a device at each station to analyze a card by causing electric currents to llovv through holes in the cards while the card is in motion. and a detlecting means controlled by each of said analyzing means.

S. In a machin adapted to sort in one run cards havin index points. in combination, a plurality ot receiving stations corresponding to the index point positions on the cards, a device at each station to analyze cards by 'ausing electric currents to How througn holes in the cards, and a magnetic deflecting means controlled by each of said analyzing devices.

9. In a machine for sorting cards having index positions. in combination, a plurality ot' receiving stations corresponding to the index positions on the cards. a device at each station to analyze a card by causing electric currents to flow through holes in the cards nhile the card is in motion. and a magnetic deflecting means controlled by each of said analyzing means.

it). in a machine for sorting cards, in combination. a card conveyor. and a plurality of devices spaced along said conveyor to analyze the cards while they are in'motion.

.11. In a machine for sorting cards. in combination. a card conveyor. and a plurality of devices spaced along said conveyor to analyze the cards by causing electric currents to flow through holes in the cards while they are in motion.

12. In a machine of the character described. in combination. a device for feeding cards at equal intervals, a conveying means \vhi 'h preserves the equal intervals between cards. and a plurality of devices spaced along the conveying means to analyze the cards while the cards are in motion.

13. In a machine of the character described. in combination. a device for feeding cards at equal intervals. a conveying means which preserves the equal intervals between cards. and a plurality ot devices to analyze the -ards while the cards are in motion; said ionveying means comprising successive sets of upper and lower positively driven rolls so spaced that each set of rolls: receives the card before the preceding set has released it.

H.111 a machine ot' the character described. in combination. a device tor tecd ing cards at r gular intervals. a conveying means which preserves the equal intervals between cards. and a plurality of devi es to analyze the cards while the cards are in inotiou: said c nveying means comprisin; su cessive sets ot' upper and lovvcr positively driven rolls. said sets of rolls being spaced apart a distance less than the width of a card.

.15. In a machine of the character tlc scribed for sorting cards having index po itions in columns. comprising in combination a device for l'ceding cards at equal iI1teI vals. a conveying system which preserves thc equal intervals between cards. and a plurality oi analyzing devices equally spaced alone said conveying system. the space hetvveen successive analyzing devices being less than the card interval by an amount. equal to the distance lJLiWLUll index positions in said card column.

1t'i. ln a machine of the character described. for sorting cards: having index 110* sitions. comprising in combination. a plurality of receiving stations correspondin to said index positions. an analyzing device at each station for analyzing cards in motion. each analyzing device being so placed as to be etl'ective only on the card index po ition corresponding to its own station.

17.111 a machine of the character described. for sorting cards having index positions. comprising in combination. a device to teed cards at regular intervals, :1 card conveyor system. a plurality ol' anal \'/.in1:' dcviccs for analyzing cards in motion ea it correslmmling to an index position on the card. means to make said :HliliVZlHQ (le\ ices ell'ectivo once. during each ard cycle at th instant the card is in )osition to be acted upon by the analyzing device corresponding to its index position on the card.

18.111 a machine of the character described for sorting cards having index positions. comprising in combination, a device to feed cards at regnla intervals. :1 card conveyor system. a plurality of electric analyzing devices for analyzing cards in motion each corresponding to an index position on the card. means to energize said analyzing! devices once during each card cycle at th instant the card is in position to be ac' l upon by the analyzing device corresponding to its index position on the card.

' index points in columns,

adevice at each station 19. In a machine of the character described, for sorting in one run cards having index points in columns, comprisingincomhination, a plurality of analyzing devices, each being settable to analyze any desired column on the cards.

20. In a machine of the character described, for sorting in one run cards having comprising in com bination, a plurality of devices for analyzing cards by causingelectric currents to fiow through holes in the cards, each being settable to analyze any desired column on the cards. 7 V p 21. In a machine of the character described, for sorting in one run cards having index points in columns. comprising in combination, a plurality of receiving stations, an analyzing device'at-each station, each analyzing device being settable to any desired column on the cards.

22. In a machine of the character described, for sorting in one run cards having index points in columns, comprising in combination, aplurality of receiving stations, for analyzing cards by causing electric currents to flow through holes in the cards, each analyzing device being settable to anydesired column on the cards.

23. In a-card sorting machine, in combination, a feeding device, a plurality of receiving stations, a conveyor common to all the stations, device at each station to analyze cards in motion, and a card deflecting means controlled'by each analyzing HIGELDS 24. In a card sorting machine, in combination, a feeding dev ce,

a plurality of receiving stations, a conveyor common to all the stations, a device at each station to analyze cards by causing electric currents to flow through holes in the cards while the cards are in motion, and a magnetically operated card deflecting means controlled by each: analyzing means.

25. index positions in columns,1n combination, a device to feed cards, a conveyor system, a plurality of receiving stations, an analyzing device at each station, said analyzingidevice being settahle to traverse any column on the card. i

26. In a machine for sorting cards having index positions in columns, in combina tion, a device to feed cards, a conveyor sys tem. a plurality of receiving stations, an analyzing device at each station, said analyzing devices being settable to analyze more than one column on the cards, in one run.

27. In a machine for sorting cards having In a machine for sorting cards having index positions in columns, in combination,

a plurality of receiving stations, a plurality of analyzing devices including means for setting them indivldually to analyze any card column, and settable means to render one or more of said analyzing devices inoperative.

28. In a machine for sorting cards having index positions, in combination, a plurality of receiving stations corresponding. to the index positions on the cards, means at each of said stations to analyze cards While the cards are in motion, and settable means to render any of said analyzing means inoperative.

9.9. In a machine for sorting cards having index positions, a device for feeding cards, a plurality of receiving stations, a horizon-' tally disposed system of rolls to convey the cards from said feeding device to said stations, a card analyzing device at each station, a magnet controlled by said analyzing device at each station, a deflector at each station below the path of the cards and operable by the corresponding magnet to defleet the passing card into its station When such action is initiated by the corresponding analyzing device.

30. In a machine for sorting cards having index positions in columns, a device for feeding cards at intervals, a plurality of receiving stations corresponding to the index positions in the card column, a card analyzing device for analyzing cards in motionat each station, a conveyor system to convey the cards from said feeding device 'to said stations past saidanalyzing devices, the conveyor system being so coordinated Withsaid feeding and alyzing device is effective only on the card index position corresponding to its own station.

31. In amachine for sorting cards having index positions in columns, a device for feeding cards at intervals, acplurality of re ceiving stations corresponding to the index positions in the card column, a card analyzing device for analyzing cards in motion at each station, a card deflecting device controlled by said analyzing device at each stagiJiOIl, a conveyor system to convey the cards from said feeding device to said stations past said analyzing devices, the conveyor system being so coordinated with said feeding, analyzing and deflecting devices that each analyzing and deflect-ing device is effective only on the card index position corresponding to its own station.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my analyzing devices that each an-- 

